Category: Reviews
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Legions of death metal have hit the road and they struck this evening, nowhere better than in the downtown area of Los Angeles. Deicide brings forth an ensemble of hate, destruction and death riffs from their latest album overtures of blasphemy which released late last year. The 1720 has brought forth 6 powerful acts that define the sheer velocity that is Death Metal. With a house full of die-hards and ragers throughout the night and no dead sense, this is the perfect evening to witness the heady doses of main acts such as Origin, Jungle Rot, and The Absence. This Los Angeles even is able to benefit us with local opening acts, Transtorno the Blackened Death metal band from Inland Empire. Whose theatrical mix and influences will consist of Behemoth, Uada and Watain. This Spanish-themed band definitely gets points for taking their act to the next level with their music as well as engagement with oncoming crowds. With their latest tracks from Himnos a Lucifer, a must have for any collection. Dark as Death definitely tears through souls with their brute force of death and grind, really warming up the crowd even further. The band is terrifyingly good and brings you nothing but hard and heavy tones from the latest Bless the Witch, a must, especially for a show like tonight.

The Absence:
Florida keeps bringing out astonishing acts, first of the main acts is The Absence. While I have never heard of them nor have I heard any of their tunes the name was definitely circled around by those around waiting to see the band take the stage. From the first minute the boys started playing, I knew then and there that the rest of this set would be unforgettable. A 5-piece like this who is as coordinated and fun-loving while delivering a solid banging set of jams that have never been this much fun to witness. Many a times there’s a melodic death act thrown into this mix and for the better to stay close to the main genre while having a hint of versatility is a core advantage to being the type of act that stays in your head for a long time. Not only has this band initiated their rightful place to the crowd, members have come from an extensive background of heavy predecessors such as Venom Inc., Havok, Arch Enemy and Wombbath, its no wonder the boys are as good as they are as well as experienced. Definitely the type of music worth keeping track of!
Setlist:
1. The Murder
2. Necropolis
3. Septic Testament
4. Walking Shadows
5. Celestial Hysteria
6. Dead and Gone

Jungle Rot:
One of the main highlights for this evening and my all time favorite fiends from Wisconsin, Jungle Rot only delivers old school death and they do it so damn well. Right off the bat the crowd is part of one mighty spectacle, The band does not hesitate to unleash their monstrous jams such as Doomsday,Terror Regime, E.F.K and Burning Cinder. While the frontside of the stage is heavily crowded towards the back mostly what you can witness is a number of bodies slamming towards each other. Key Ingredients for this group are the demonic screams from singer Dave Matrise, the heavy riffs from Geoff Bub, as well as the pounding bass lines from Jimm Genenz are the perfect combo that keeps the audience asking for more. With a variety set featuring their latest tracks on their self titled album which has been released for almost a year already. There is no slowing down when seeing Jungle Rot. Every chance I get at seeing them I make sure to make the most of it because they definitely pack a punch!

Origin:
Up next comes tech-death legends Origin, who hail from Topeka, Kansas. With the crowd already packed and the night still young, these folk are beyond ready for more. Nothing but concentration and skill is shown from all sides of the stage as Origin presents us with gravity blasts and sweeps that melt faces and even have the crowds in action with voluntary stage diving. Singer Jason Keyser reacts best when engaging with the crowd, commanding the next move and blasting vocals that are flawless in their latest tracks and jams such as The Aftermath and Finite. The band exceeds brutality delivering much better through a live performance than in studio because of engagement.

Setlist: N/A

Deicide:
Now begins the almighty destruction of Florida legends, Deicide! when asked by sound guys if he’s ready to go, best thing to come out of singer Glen Benton’s mouth “I’m ready to f*ck sh*t up!” All the hellions in the room cheer and roar, ready for this heavy set to get started. First track to be unleashed is the classic Dead by Dawn and damn what a way to getting your night started. Death Metal can’t be described without picturing Glen’s high pitched screaming demon vox that interpret hell and all its glory of evil. Almost 2 hours of a full on classic death setlist along with tracks from their latest album Overtures of Blasphemy, it’s all killer and no filler. Brutality surrounds you as the band delivers their music that is as dark and intense as they come such as One with Satan,Serpents of the Light and Sacrificial Suicide. It’s one hell of a night for everyone grateful enough to be a part of this event and making sure that they have plenty of energy to last the rest of this monstrous tour. Currently these high rollers are taking this tour and domination throughout the US, I highly recommend taking a trip out to the nearest venue to be one with Deicide as well as this tour!

Setlist:
1. Dead by Dawn
2. When Satan Rules His World
3. Scars of the Crucifix
4. Crawled from the Shadows
5. They are children of the Underworld
6. One with Satan
7. Once upon the Cross
8. Defying the Sacred
9. Serpents of the Light
10. Seal of the Tomb Below
11. Oblivious to Evil
12. Excommunicated
13. Dead but Dreaming
14. In the minds of Evil
15. Sacrificial Suicide

Just off the release of Dusty Notes, the Meat Puppets are back on tour with their original drummer Derrick Bostrom for the first time since the mid 90s. Bostrom may be the headline, but let us not bury the lede and forget about Ron Stabinsky. An aficionado on the keys, there was a certain extra energy the Pups were hitting tonight (and on this whole tour, so I hear). Almost as if the usual trip to outerspace wasn’t enough and we have to take this ship into another galaxy. If that’s even something you can fathom.

On a Saturday Night in Jersey City in a venue called Monty Hall, Let’s Make A Deal with the first of many editions of a new thing we’re doing here at Concert Confessions: We call it the Concert Confessions Video Wrap Up. I mean, with all the concert police all over the internet telling people like me to put down their devices at shows I figured this is a good way to let all those people know that I have two middle fingers for them.

Anyhow, below we have a few videos from the show last night. Take a look, a listen and share with your friends!

This was my 20th time seeing the Meat Puppets. Here’s to at least 20 more! Full set list below:

Norwegian industrial metal band Combichrist will be releasing their ninth studio album One Fire on June 7th. In the meantime, they are busy touring around the world playing their dance/electronic music that gets the blood pumping and fists in the air. Recently, the band saw the departure of their percussionist Nick Rossi and the sad departure of their longtime and fan-favorite drummer Joe Letz after 13 years as the main drummer. Combichrist now has two new members and are still putting on electrifying performances. Their music is best described as electro-industrial with their songs containing elements of electronic music and industrial. Combichrist is currently on tour and one of the stops was at the Regent in Los Angeles, California. A perfect way to spend your Friday night with some electro-industrial metal to relieve stress.
The lights went out and the crowd went wild as the intro track This Shit Will Fuck You Up started. The band members came out one by one with founding member and singer Andy LaPlegua being the last one on stage. Combichrist started the show with Hate Like Me, a brand new song that will be on the new album. The next song played was the favorite Never Surrender which got the crowd singing along to the catchy chorus. The third song played was another fan favorite Shut Up and Swallow that also had the fans singing along to the obvious catchy chorus. Looking around, you could see fans having a good time with plenty of beer drinking, smiles, and dancing. Plenty of fans also dressed the part for industrial metal which involved eye liner, latex, and greasy-looking hair. Combichrist continued the show with blood-pumping tunes like Throat Full of Glass, No Redemption, Follow the Trail and They. Combichrist had an impressive display of strobe lights to give the show a classic electronic show with lots of fog. Along with the performance, the band’s two newest members were also shining. Drummer Dane White and percussionist Will Spodnick were wild displaying their drumming techniques and were very entertaining to watch. They will surely be great additions to the band. The show seemed to come to an end when Combichrist played what is perhaps their most famous song, What the Fuck Is Wrong With You?. Fans were singing along and jumping as they haven been and even a mosh pit was started to the energy of this song. Once Combichrist finished, they left the stage. The fans stayed and didn’t seem to wanna go home yet. After a short break, Combichrist came back out for some encores. The first encore was Blut Royale. The fans were happy to have Combichrist back out so they showed their appreciation by jumping and going crazy once again. The next two encores were the fan-favorites Electrohead and Get Your Body Beat. By this time, it had gotten warm in the venue with everyone looking all sweaty, but were clearly having the time of their life. To end the night, Combichrist played MaggotsAt the Party. The show ended and Combichrist surely left plenty of smiles on the faces of all their fans both old and new.

American rock band Player is best known for their 1977 hit single, Baby Come Back. They have been through numerous lineup changes and hiatuses, but are now back with an all new lineup with original frontman Peter Beckett leading the band. One of the stops on this tour was the world-famous Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood, California. It was a calm and quiet Wednesday night in Hollywood which was the perfect setting for this show.
After a few opening acts, it was time for Player to hit the stage for old and new fans to enjoy some rocking tunes. Player started the show with Man on Fire. Even after all these years, Beckett still has it with talent and showmanship. The show went on as Player played many of their hits including This Time, How Long (Ace cover), Twist of Fate and MyReligion. Fans could be seen cheering singing along, and dancing to the music. Player would also bring out some guests for the show which were Elliot Lurie (Looking Glass band) and Mary Harris From Ambrosia who is also the wife of Player drummer, Burleigh Drummond. Nearing the end of the show, it was time to bring out the song that everyone was waiting. The familiar guitar intro started and everyone gathered as close as possible to hear Player sing one of the most popular rock/love songs, Baby Come Back. Player would end the show with Wildside and called it a night and left the stage. The audience stayed for a bit and after a quick break, Beckett came back out to introduce the band as well as talk about life and music as well as an encore song. That encore song would be House is a Rockin’. Beckett once again thanked the audience for coming out and left the stage once again. Player has left their mark in music history and still show no signs of slowing down.

Heavy metal titans Doro and Metal Church teamed up for a co-headlining tour across the USA. It would make for a great night for classic metal for fans of all ages. What better venue to hold a show of this caliber than the legendary Whisky A Go Go on the Sunset Strip. Even before Metal Church went on, the venue was already packed with fans as they were clearly eager to get their weekend started.Metal Church released their twelfth studio album Damned If You Do in 2018. They came out to a packed venue and were welcomed by the audience as they started the show with the title track from the new album, Damned If You Do. Hearing a classic heavy metal band is always a breath of fresh air. Vocalist Mike Howe returned to the band in 2015 since first leaving in 1995 when Metal Church disbanded. It’s great to have Howe back in the lineup as Metal Church still sounds great as they delivered tracks like Badlands, Date With Poverty and No Friend of Mine. The crowd came alive the most when Metal Church played their best tracks Start the Fire, Watch the Children Pray and Beyond the Black. All those songs had the fans singing along and raising their horns in the air. The show seemed to come to an end when they played By the Numbers. Metal Church left the stage, but the fans kept cheering for them. After a quick break, MetalChurch came back out for some encores. The first encore was Fake Healer. The fans kept the energy going as they continuously cheered. The end their performance, Metal Church played In Mourning before leaving the stage once again as they made way for the headlining act of the night.
German metal queen Doro Pesch released her new double album Forever Warriors/Forever United in 2018. By the time Doro and her band was getting ready to come on stage, the venue was packed with metalheads from various age groups. The band members came out with Doro being last. They started the show with the classic I Rule the Ruins from when Doro fronted the heavy metal band, Warlock. Joining her from her Warlock days is guitarist Tommy Bolan who shredded each track played live to perfection and is an absolute madman of a performer. The next track was Earthshaker Rock followed by Raise Your Fist in the Air. The fans were loving every moment of this energetic performance. Doro was very active on stage as she would run around and raise her fists to the loudness of the music. Doro would next play a song from the new albums titled Bastardos and it was heavy metal goodness. One of the highlights of the night was when Doro once again went back to her Warlock roots and played the band’s most popular track, Burning the Witches. The fans would sing along to the song’s catchy chorus as well as raise their metal horns and bang their heads. Doro would continue to deliver plenty of heavy metal classics including Hellbound, All We Are, East Meets West, and even a Judas Priest cover of Breaking the Law which got the crowd pumped up singing along to one of metal’s greatest songs. To end the night, Doro played the metal anthem We Are the Metalheads which is always played at the German metal festival, Wacken Open Air. Doro finished up the show and left, but not before thanking everyone that came out. Doro always puts on a great show for her fans and always show full appreciation to everyone in the audience and proves why she’s the metal queen.

Doro

Metal Church

As another weekend strikes, the heavy maniacs of SoCal have gathered over at The Hi-Hat for a spectacular set to have ever landed. Better captioned as an “All Killer, no Filler” type of gig with acts from near and very far. With a full capacity and sold out show and on the infamous 4/20 no less, 5 blasphemous sets of pure heavy madness. For the first time in the history of the states, the swamp lords Kalmah have finally been able to grace us with their presence. Hailing all the way from Finland, these titans put on one swamphell of a show along with Norwegian fiends Vreid and supporting acts Empyrean Throne, Wormwitch and Imperialist. A climactic event full of screams and shreds too good to miss.
First to start off the evening are the sci-fi black thrashing locals of Imperialist who reside in the LA area. The 4 piece hellions drew quite a crowd for openers as production managed to give incentives for early comers which in term had the space filling quite fast. With empowering fury and tempos varying from fast and slow-paced rhythms, the band has already set the mood for the types of vibes that are to be felt this evening. Any fan of blast beats combined with euphoric screams are definitely in for a treat due to the energy these gents put forth into their writing. Currently the band has come out with their latest album Cipher jam-packed with supersonic tracks all geared towards a rich symphonic blackened themed piece of art, highly worth taking a listen to.

Canada has been introducing us to newer bands lately and what an excellent addition to follow the next set than the mighty Wormwitch hailing just from above us in Vancouver, BC. I had only heard about this band so seeing them on the stage and witnessing the pack that they punch by really pumping up the crowd gives you the sense that they mean business. With an incoming horde of more fans entering by the second this act keeps bringing the heat with
jams such as Disciple of the Serpent Star and Two Wolves. Your only choice is to participate with the heavy
blackened death tones. With a small venue such as the Hi-Hat, it’s both good and bad to be in such close proximity to
these bands leaving the benefit of closer interactions which feels both parties, sure maybe it’ll get tight but better than having barricades and seeing the band from afar. The best way to describe this band in particular would be malevolently epic, the stage presence and aura thrown out is a great setting. While also supporting as a guest act in this tour, the band is also touring with black metal titans Uada in The Spectral Storm Tour which also runs through the rest of this month towards the north of the states. You don’t know what you’re missing unless you’re out catching this band on stage earring it up!

Just south of Los Angeles and in the surrounding Orange County dwells another set of heathens known asEmpyrean Throne. I can’t get enough of the local bands and always astonished as to how many of them
are just a short distance away. I am highly admirable when it comes to groups who have their own set of
charismatic functions and developing presence. E.T. is just that, with their brute force 300 film style-themed
antics the name definitely gives context. Once drawn into the essence through their visual appeal for rituals and chaos,
you get that technical blackened Behemoth elements. With a few hardcore pulses you’re able to feel the type of power
they bring forth to the crowd with killer tracks such as The Twilight Order and Usurping the Obsidian God. It’s a most perfect style of creativity thrown in the mix, fiery lights, stage props, black/death riffs of pure vile hate has you in the adrenaline rush type of mood. E.T. will continue supporting Kalmah up until the very next month of May and is bringing heavy doses of tyrannical fury, be sure to be a part of the spectacle. As if the evening was not finished, yet another group of iconic mortals hit the stage. With a new name and no strangers to the stage is Vreid or better known in their younger days as the very dark and brutal Windir which consists of all original members excluding the very late Valfar. For most who have been followers from the very beginning there are distinct differences between the two but also have some styles that adhere to its predecessor. Vreid delivers a more revamped and versatile style of music which they have made to present themselves evil tracks like Black Rites in the Black Knights and my favorite, Solverv. The only and best elements to expect is the dark spirit of unholy tracks that are the embodiment making this band whole. Of course what is a great tribute to the golden days like a ‘cover’ from your former band which had the crowd going nuts during the segment of Journey to the End. Banger after banger its a sight to behold in getting the opportunity to witness such godlike beings as Vreid.

The moment was finally here as the crowd chants “bring out the Swamp Lords” which can only be the forth calling to
legends Kalmah, after so long and many years can finally make history by playing for a full house filled with the fans that enjoy true melodic death metal. Coming from Finland’s finest to destroy the evening in a setlist full of monstrous jams from past and new hymns like They Will Return, The Evil Kin and Swamphell the band delivers. The only goal for the evening is to give the people what they have been wanting and waiting on for so long. Over an hour of chants and killer riffs from all sides of the spectrum be it guitars, bass, effect and who could forget drums. The basis of this group surpasses the rest with its harmonic instrumentals and beautifully crafted rhythms, singer and frontman
Pekka Kokko assures face melting riffs and licks are just a fraction of the entertainment without the hellish leads from Antti Kokko and remarkable fills in effects by keyboardist Veli Kananen. To merely spectate such icons as these is too good of an opportunity to pass up and should highly be taken advantage of to finally see greatness in the flesh!

Kalmah

Vreid

Empyrean Throne

Wormwitch

Imperialist

Legendary record label Wax Trax! Records released a film titled Industrial Accident: The Story of Wax Trax! Records. The film was shown on a mini tour consisting of six stops across the USA. The final stop on the tour was at the Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles, California. A venue like this is obviously too small for a band like Ministry and an event like this. Doors opened at 5 and even after the movie had started at 6, the venue was at max capacity and a big line was still waiting outside hoping for a chance to be let in,
The film tells the story about the independent record store and label from the two founders Jim Nash and Dannie Flesher who started as a record store in 1978 and eventually moved to Chicago where they opened another store. Wax Trax! Records became a presence for genres such as punk rock, new wave and industrial metal. The film shows old footage from bands as well as new interviews from bands like KMFDM, Revolting Cocks, Front 242, Trent Reznor (NineInch Nails) and Al Jourgensen (Ministry). After the film ended, there was a standing ovation from the sold out audience who obviously loved the film. There was a Q&A session with Julia Nash (daughter of Jim), Paul Barker (ex-Ministry) and a couple of others. The DVD/Blu Ray of the film is available to purchase and also includes 75 minutes of additional footage. One that was over, the entire venue floor was emptied of people to make room for the music part of the show and what better way to end it than with the industrial metal legends, Ministry.
The members of Ministry came out to a packed venue with mastermind Jourgensen letting the fans know that their setlist will only include songs from the Wax Trax! Records era. The first song was The Missing from their certified gold third album, The Land of Rape and Honey. The next two songs were Deity and Stigmata which were also from that same album. Up next was indeed was a special treat for Ministry as they next played Jesus Built My Hotrod, a song they haven’t played since 2006. It was welcomed by fans as they sang along, moshed, and jumped to this catchy and energetic song. Ministry next played some classic fan-favorites like Just One Fix, N.W.O. and Thieves. Next they once again treated the fans to an old song Burning Inside which they haven’t played since 2003. The night seemed to come to an end as Ministry played So What then left the stage. Fans didn’t seem to wanna leave yet as they stayed and cheered for the band to come back out. After a short break, Ministry came back out for some encores. The first was No Devotion, a RevoltingCocks (Jourgensen side-project) cover which hasn’t been played since 1988. The final treat of the night was when Ministry played their Black Sabbath cover of Supernaut which they haven’t played since 2004. To end the night, Ministry played an acoustic version of (Everyday Is) Halloween. Jourgensen thanked the audience for coming out before leaving the stage once again.

Celebrating the upcoming launch of their ninth full-length album One Fire, aggrotech EBM magnates Combichrist brought the body beats to Club Red Mesa on Tuesday, April 9. Playing a full set to a packed house, veteran members Andy LaPlegua and guitar icon Eric13 not only debuted several tracks from the up-and-coming album, but also introduced fans to their new meat behind the beat Will Spodnick (@willspod for your Twitter & IG) from New York and Dane White from the House of Mouse…Orlando, FL (@dane_white).

The April 9 show was the first time Arizona fans would experience the band without the iconic dragged ‘n’ dentured appearance and stage tricks of long-time drummer Joe Letz. Letz is known throughout the music world for his outlandish appearances dressed as a skinny buxom school girl with a mouthful of apparatus and headgear, which contorted his face into a monstrosity that was only exacerbated by a messy wig, tattoos, and eyelashes on his cheeks. Joe will not only be missed for his neander-Thelma presence and behavior but also his skills in showmanship and his precision talent. But regardless of all the artistic accolades one can bestow, what I’m going to miss about him the most is standing around in the crowd and leaning up on the barricades eavesdropping on the newer male fans whispering, “Man, that chick is so hot,” to each other while they sip their beers and hope for eye contact.

Perhaps a little apprehensive about what was waiting after Letz’s departure, the Tuesday show line-up featured Will Spod and Dane White in the driver seats. Letz may be a tough act to follow, but Spod and White are new blood, and new blood always brings a sense of rejuvenation when a band has been around as long as Andy’s has. Having a flair for the dramatic must be a requirement on a resume to be a Cc member as both men rose to and met the precedent set by their predecessor. The amount of flash and flair that these gentlemen bring to the stage in their own rites carries on the Combichrist multi-sensational excitement. Between White and Spod there was certainly no lack of talent or entertainment from them, nor was there any love lost from the fans, who packed the club the same as they always do when Combichrist comes to town. Fans were so energized by the band’s performance that an encore was demanded (and they were not disappointed!)

While LaPlegua’s policy is to engage the audience with songs they know and love, there were several debut performances from their up-and-coming album, One Fire. In the past, Combichrist music has been made up of mostly motivational beat metal. However, this latest album showcases the evolution and progress of the band ironically by going back in time and revisiting the sounds of early Cc, yet with a more deft and debonair application. On this album, LaPlegua is like a mad chef (Norwegian, not Swedish) who goes back to his early cooking days and revisits the early recipes of his career, only this time with all the refinery and finesse that only experience can provide; it’s still the same dish, but there is more elegance, style, and substance to it. You hear him perform one of these new songs on stage for the first time, a song like “Hate Like Me”, and it sounds hauntingly familiar. Do I know this one? It sounds like I should know it, but at the same time it sounds new and fresh. It’s reflective and more flavorful, and while it’s a bit bolder than the band’s previous offerings, it fits in perfectly with the evolution of their identity and their progress as musicians. It’s grittier. It’s a bit more personal, but with more wisdom. And there’s more guitar. Sometimes to go forward, you have to go back, and when you hear these new songs that sound like old school, that is the quintessential Combichrist.

One Fire will be available in stores June 7, 2019. Album releases “Hate Like Me” and “Guns At Last Dawn” are available on Spotify. The One Fire tour is supported by California aggro guests Silver Snakes. The US tour continues until June 2, 2019 after which the band will begin the European leg of the tour.

**Note: Nick Rossi, who continues to be part of the Combichrist experience, was not present at the April 9 show in Mesa.

Queensryche is a progressive heavy metal band that has been around since the 1980’s. Since then, they have released fifteen studio albums with the newest one The Verdict released on March 1st. Queensryche have been touring non-stop since their formation and have delivered many classic albums and songs to rock and metal fanatics. They announced a tour with Fates Warning which was sure to be a great package. The Los Angeles stop was at the Fonda Theatre which had a nice turnout of fans even before Fates Warning came out on stage.Fates Warning is a progressive metal band that has also been around since the 1980’s. In 2016, they released their twelfth studio album titled Theories of Flight. Fates Warning came out and started the show with the first track from the new album, From the Rooftops. Fates Warning was full of energy and delivered classic heavy metal to the audience. The next track was Life in Still Water from their 1991 Parallels album. Vocalist Ray Alder made note on how he’s had people telling him all tour that they’ve never heard of Fates Warning, so he had to introduce the band to the audience for good measure. Fates Warning continued to play classics and new tracks such as A Pleasant Shade of Gray, Part III, Seven Stars, Pieces of Me and The Eleventh Hour. After a crushing set, Fates Warning finished up their show with Point of View then left the stage properly warming up the audience for the headlining act of the night.
The lights went out and the audience cheered as Queensryche made their way to the stage and started the show with the first track from the new album, Blood of the Levant. Fans were ecstatic to have Queensryche return for a headlining tour. The next song was I Am I followed by NM 156. Queensryche have been enjoying success with their current singer Todd La Torre since 2012. Before then, Queensryche was fronted by Geoff Tate who had an infamous altercation with the band which resulted in his termination. Queensryche has now released three albums with La Torre and show no signs of slowing down. The show continued as Queensryche played classics like Queen of the Reich, Silent Lucidity and Take Hold of the Flame. Fans seemed to enjoy Queensryche as they raised their horns and sang along. Queensryche ended their show with one of their popular hits Eyes of a Stranger from their critically-acclaimed concept album, Operation: Mindcrime. Queensryche left the stage and all seemed quiet for a bit. Fans cheered as thy clearly weren’t ready to go home on this Friday night. After a quick break, Queensryche came back out for some encores. The first encore was Light-years. Now, it was time for Queensryche to bring out the big hits as they next played one of their most popular hits, Jet City Woman. Fans cheered some more and sang along to the chorus. The grand finale of the night was another one of their popular hits, Empire. This night was ruled by two amazing metal bands and lots of happy faces and smiles were seen once Queensryche left the stage.

Fates Warning

Queensryche

Colombian black metal band Thy Antichrist released their newest album Wrath of the Beast in 2018. Since then, they have been actively touring in support of the album. Thy Antichrist made an special one-off performance at the Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles with support from Aire Como Plomo and local acts Witchaven and Vile Descent. Los Angeles was more than ready for Thy Antichrist to take the stage and unleash hell.
The lights went out and the audience cheered as the members of Thy Antichrist came out one by one with vocalist Andres Vargas aka Antichrist 666 being the last one to come out with a staff in hand and wearing a robe hiding his grotesqueness. Thy Antichrist started the show with Between God and The Devil and all hell had broken lose. The first thing you’ll notice is how the band members are covered in black and white paint with armor to give themselves a truly sinister look. The music itself was enough to blow you away and the vocals were brutal to where you wanted to raise your horns and bang your head. The next song was a song from the new album called The Great Beast and is a catchy song to sing along to. The next song was Where Is Your God and features more of the traditional high-pitch black metal vocals which makes the song sound really good and makes you wonder how Vargas is able to maintain those vocals for so long. Throughout the performance, Vargas would live up to the band’s slogan of “Cuernos Arriba!” (Spanish for Horns Up!” as he would regularly raise his horns to the audience. One of the highlights of the show was when ThyAntichrist played Metal to the Bone, one of the best songs from the new album which fans singing along and raising their horns. The show seemed to come to an end as Thy Antichrist played the opening track from the new album Desolation then left the stage. Fans were still hungry for more as they stayed and cheered for the band. After a quick break, Thy Antichrist came back out for some encores. The first encore was Calamity Called Mankind followed by Nightmares. The fans were happy to get more Thy Antichrist in their soul as they continued to cheer and raise their horns. The show had to eventually come to an end and Thy Antichrist did so by playing Pseudo Gods. The show came to an end as ThyAntichrist came together to bow before their audience and took their leave. Hopefully it’s not long before they come back to rage again. Cuernos Arriba!

Dutch symphonic metal band Within Temptation released their seventh studio album Resist on February 1, 2019. At last, they announced a USA tour, their first since they last came in 2014. Being one of the biggest symphonic metal bands in the world, American fans flocked to their shows with some traveling many miles or even attending more than one show to catch Within Temptation. Joining them on tour are Swedish melodic death metal giants In Flames and Smash Into Pieces. The final stop on the tour was at the Wiltern in Los Angeles, California. Even before doors opened, fans had lined up outside the venue in anticipation for the show. Smash Into Pieces and In Flames had warmed up the audience by the time Within Temptation came on stage.

The lights went out and the packed venue roared with excitement as the members of Within Temptation came out and started the show with the first track from the new album, The Reckoning (the original song features Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach). Fans were ecstatic to see Within Temptation after so long and for many fans in attendance, it was their first time seeing them. The next song was the second song from the new album, Endless War. Singer Sharon Den Adel continued to prove why she has one of the most beautiful voices in metal and in the world in general with her mezzo-soprano range. Hearing her sing is one of the most soothing, relaxing and most beautiful things you’ll hear in your life. Along to go with the performance, Within Temptation had a big screen in the background showing music videos for the songs as well as different images to go with the performance. The third song was one of their most popular songs In the Middle of the Night and it had fans singing along to the chorus and is also one of the band’s most beautiful songs. The next song was Stand My Ground and is also one of their signature songs that is played at all of their shows and once again displays Den Adel’s impressive vocal range. The next song was a very special treat for fans. Within Temptation next played the track All I Need which is without a doubt one of the most beautiful songs the band has ever written and everyone in the venue was either singing along or staring in awe as they were touched by the music and lyrics. WithinTemptation continued to wow the audience and perform beautifully as they performed fan-favorites such as The Heartof Everything, an acoustic version of Ice Queen, Faster and Paradise (What About Us?) (features Tarja Turunen formerly of Nightwish). They also played some new tracks like In Vain and Supernova. To end the night, Within Temptation played another one of their biggest hits, What Have You Done (features Keith Caputo of Life of Agony). The audience was once again singing along to this amazing song. Within Temptation ended the song and left the stage. The fans had waited too long to go home this soon so they stayed and screamed for more. After a small break, Within Temptation came back for more, but were not alone. The first encore was another new song from the new album, Raise YourBanner. The song features Anders Fridén from In Flames and since they are currently on tour with Within Temptation, it only made sense that he join them for the song and this special occasion was only done at the Los Angeles show. To end the night and tour, Within Temptation played their most popular song Mother Earth from their second 2000 album of the same name. It was a powerful song and beautifully executed. Within Temptation finished their show and once again thanked the audience then left the stage. Hopefully it’s not another five years before they return.

Children of Bodom is a melodic death metal band from Finland. They got their name after The Bodominjärvi Murders, one of the most infamous unsolved homicide cases in Finnish criminal history. On March 8, they released their tenth studio album Hexed. Children of Bodom wasted no time in announcing a North American tour. On this tour, they brought with them Swallow the Sun, Wolfheart and Fragmentum. Halfway through the tour, Children of Bodom made their way to Santa Ana, California where they packed The Observatory even on a Tuesday night. Metal fans were more than ready to let loose and feel metal pulsing through their bodies.
The Observatory was packed as fans eagerly awaited the arrival of Children of Bodom as they chanted, “Bodom! Bodom! Bodom!” as the lights went out. The members of Children of Bodom came out one by one with frontman Alexi Laiho being last and started the show with Are You Dead Yet?. The fans cheered with excitement and mosh pits quickly began as the fierce guitars ripped through the audience. The music was backed by the growls of Laiho which added ferocity to the music. The next song played was the fan-favorite, In Your Face. For the third song, Children of Bodom made note of their new album and decided to treat the fans to some new tunes and played Platitudes and BarrenWords. The crowd was very energetic throughout the whole performance and were thrilled to have Children of Bodom back. The fans stayed wild with mosh pits and crowd surfers showing up the whole time. Children of Bodom played many classics such as Bodom Beach Terror, Everytime I Die and I Worship Chaos. They also played more new tracks like UnderGrass and Clover and Hecate’s Nightmare. Nearing the end of the show, the familiar ending dialogue of the film AmericanPsycho played over the speaker, “My pain is constant and sharp and I do not hope for a better world for anyone, in fact I want my pain to be inflicted on others. I want no one to escape.” The familiar keyboards started and so Children ofBodom played one of their best songs, Angels Don’t Kill. To end the show, Children of Bodom played another popular hit, If You Want Peace…Prepare For War. Fans cheered and continued to go wild. Children of Bodom left the stage and all seemed quiet. Fans continued to chant, “Bodom! Bodom! Bodom!” and after a quick break, the band came back out for some encores. The first encore was one of their most successful singles Hate Me! which had fans singing along to the chorus. The grand finale of the night was another one of their most popular hits, Downfall. Children of Bodom wrapped up their performance, thanked the audience for coming out and left the stage leaving the fans wanting more with a very satisfying performance.

Swedish death metal band Hypocrisy and Italian symphonic death metal maestros Fleshgod Apocalypse announced a co-headlining tour called Death Is Just the Beginning. A great lineup for metal fans to let loose on a Friday night. The first stop on the tour was the Regent in Downtown Los Angeles. The first 3 bands went on and the venue was already packed as Fleshgod Apocalypse prepared to go on. The lights went out and the crowd cheered as Fleshgod Apocalypse came out and started the show with The Violation, a perfect song to start their crushing performance. Frontman Francesco Paoli led the band with classic death metal growls and shredding guitars. He was backed by Veronica Bordacchini who sang in her beautiful soprano vocals. Their performances can be described as opera death metal. Fleshgod Apocalypse next played Healing Through War from their newest album, King. The next song was Cold AsPerfection from the same album. Fleshgod Apocalypse have a new album coming out on May 24th titled Veleno (Italian for Poison). To give the audience a taste of the new album, Fleshgod Apocalypse played the first single Sugar live for the first time ever. A masterpiece of a song and surely the rest of the album will be killer. Fleshgod Apocalypse continued to crush Los Angeles with hits such as Minotaur (The Wrath of Poseidon), The Egoism, and another live debut of Fury from the upcoming new album. It was sadly time for Fleshgod Apocalypse to call it a night and so they ended their show with the most popular track, The Forsaking. A perfect ending song. Fleshgod Apocalypse wrapped up their show and made way for the headlining band of the night.
It has been many years since Hypocrisy last came to the USA so having them back is a true gift for metalheads everywhere. Their last album was 2013’s End of Disclosure. They currently have a new album in the works which will hopefully be released soon. For many people in attendance, it was their first time seeing Hypocrisy and were more than ready to finally see these death metal legends. The lights went out and the crowd once again cheered as Hypocrisy came out on stage with main man Peter Tägtgren being the last member to come out. Hypocrisy started their show with Fractured Millennium from their 1999 self-titled album. The crowd went into a frenzy with mosh pits and crowd surfers throughout the night. Up next was Valley of the Damned followed by End of Disclosure. Tägtgren hasn’t lost his touch in being one of metal’s finest musicians. Hypocrisy never slowed down as they played plenty of classic like Eraser, Penetralia, Fire in the Sky and Killing Art. Seeing Hypocrisy live finally was a thing of beauty and they did not disappoint. To properly end the show, Hypocrisy performed The Final Chapter. Hypocrisy left the stage and all seemed quiet with the stage being dark. The intro track The Gathering from their 1996 extra terrestrial-themed album Abducted played over the speakers. The intro track features samples from the Halt Tape which was allegedly recorded during the Rendlesham Forest Incident in which UFO sightings were reported in Suffolk, England. Hypocrisy came back out and played the next track from the album, Roswell 47. Because who doesn’t love songs involving extra terrestrials? The song is perhaps the band’s most famous song and had the crowd moshing and singing along. Hypocrisy finished the show, thanked the audience for coming out, then left the stage. Hopefully it’s not a long time before they come back again.

Hypocrisy

Fleshgod Apocalypse

British extreme/gothic metal band Cradle of Filth released their newest album Cryptoriana – The Seductiveness of Decay in 2017 and have been actively touring since. Their lyrical themes and imagery are heavily influenced by Gothic literature, poetry, mythology, and horror films. Often being depicted as a satanic band, that is hardly the case and is used as shock value. Cradle of Filth announced a new leg for their North American tour which included Wednesday 13 and Raven Black. The stop on this tour was the House of Blues in Anaheim, California. By the time Cradle of Filth came on stage, the venue was packed with their loyal fanbase.
The lights went out and the crowd cheered in excitement as the intro track Ave Satani blared over the speakers and the band members came out one by one with frontman Dani Filth being the last one to come out. Cradle of Filth started their show with their popular track, Gilded Cunt. Right away, you feel the gothic tone of the band’s music and Filth wastes no time unleashing his high-pitch vocals and Cradle of Filth was now out with full force. The fans all cheered and the mosh pit started as one of Britain’s biggest bands was just a few feet way from them. Cradle of Filth continued the show with Nemesis and Right Wing of the Garden Triptych. Cradle of Filth was off to a great start and they seem to only get better and better. One of the highlights of the night was when they played Bathory Aria, a rarely played track and is eleven minutes long. A nice treat for their devoted fans. The show continued with Dusk and Her Embrace, then the show seemed to come to an end as Cradle of Filth finished with You Will Know the Lion By His Claw. After a brief pause, the intro track A Bruise Upon the Silent Moon started as Cradle of Filth came back out and continued the show with ThePromise of Fever. Up next was a very special treat as Cradle of Filth next played Saffron’s Curse, a song that hasn’t been played live since 2003 and is a fan favorite. Up next was another one of their best songs, Nymphetamine (Fix). It is their most beautiful songs and is backed by Lindsay Schoolcraft’s hauntingly beautiful vocals which gives the song life. This is a song for all the fans to sing along. The show was nearing the end and so Cradle of Filth played Honey and Sulphur. To end the show, Cradle of Filth played their most famous song, Her Ghost in the Fog. Another song for fans to sing along to, the song also featured Schoolcraft on vocals which made the song even more hauntingly beautiful. Cradle of Filth finished up their show, thanked the audience, then left the stage. The fans were very happy with the performance and surely can’t wait for Cradle of Filth to return.

Electronic/industrial metal legends Lords of Acid released their sixth studio album Pretty In Kink in 2018. With that, they embarked on a tour across the USA to spread the love and kink. The second stop on the tour was the Regent Theater and Los Angeles was more than ready to get their kink on, especially on a Friday night. Genitorturers have been active since 1986 and are one of the leading bands of the underground industrial metal scene. Their live performances include latex outfits, gimp masks, whips, and of course, metal grinders on metal with sparks flying everywhere giving in to the genre, industrial metal. They are a band to witness live if they ever come to your area. Up next was the industrial rock band, Orgy. First appearing in 1998, they have only released three albums so far with their fourth album titled Entropy still being made with an undetermined release date. They have a very energetic stage presence that got the crowd pumped up whether their audience had old school fans of theirs or new. Orgy finished up their show and now it was time for the Lords of Acid to sex things up.Lords of Acid came out and started the show with Sex Bomb. Their music is heavily inspired by techno and rave music so it’s easy to dance to and get in the groove. The second song was Scrood Bi U from their 2001 album, Farstucker. They are known for their outrages sexual lyrics and sound samples. Even then, it fits the band’s image and the lyrics are easy to follow along to and sing along to. This is the first tour to feature the new female vocalist Marieke Bresseleers and what eye candy she was to watch perform on stage. Watching her sing and dance at the same time, it’s impossible to not be hypnotized by her. The band also features guitarist and two time Grammy-nominated Sin Quirin who is also the guitarist for industrial metal legends, Ministry. Leading on the groovy bass is DieTrich Thrall who is a former bassist for the solo band of Misfits legend, Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein. Praga Khan serves and vocalist and keyboardist and is the sole original member since the band’s inception in 1988. Other sexed up songs to get the audience warmed up included Sex Cam Girl, Out Comes the Evil, and You Belong to Me. It was around this time of the show when Lords of Acid started bringing out the good stuff as Khan played the familiar keyboard intro to one of their famous songs, Rough Sex. The song is very catchy and fun to sing along to the lyrics, “I Think about pure sex, deep sex, hard sex, rough sex” then get hit with a pure techno beat that will have you dancing and jumping. The next song was Rubber Doll and what better way to get into the song than to have backup dancers bring out a sex doll complete with open mouth and drawn out hairy bush. The next hit was Voodoo-U and once again the crowd was seen dancing and singing along. Some more hits were played including Pussy, Lover, and The Most Wonderful Girl. Following the end of that, Khan jumped into another one of their most popular songs, I Sit on Acid. A very simple beat and lyrics, but it’s impossible to resist singing along to “sit on your face, I wanna sit on your face”. The show seemed to come to an end as the band left the stage. After a few minutes, they came back out for some encores. The first encore was Let’s Get High. The crowd still had plenty of energy left and continued to jump the music. The final song of the night was The Crab Louse which is naturally an ode to pubic lice. Lords of Acid wrapped up (no pun intended) their show and surely left their fans in a horny state so they too can spread the love.

Lords of Acid

Orgy

Genitorturers

Punk rock legends Pennywise announced a one-off show at the Majestic Ventura Theater in downtown Ventura County where they know they are welcomed with open arms from their dedicated fans. Pennywise got their name from the evil clown monster from the Stephen King horror novel, It. These last few shows have been celebrating the band’s legacy as they have been touring their asses off for 30 years since 1988. To no surprise, the Ventura Theater sold out ahead of time. Even before doors opened, there was a huge line of people waiting to get in to see these punk legends.
The lights went out and the packed venue cheered as the members of Pennywise came out and started the show with Fight Till You Die. A perfect intro to the show as fans went wild with mosh pits and crowd surfers in true punk fashion. The next song was Rules from their Pennywise debut album and it proved to get the audience just as wild as the opening song. The third song was Homesick, another classic track from their catalog. It seemed no matter what song Pennywise played, fans could be seen singing along and going wild. The whole band had a very energetic presence to them and watching them go crazy on stage, it was impossible to sit still as fans not moshing were seen head banging and singing along. Other classic Pennywise tracks played were Perfect People, Same Old Story, Unknown Road, and the title track Pennywise. Before continuing the show, founding member and guitarist Fletcher thanked the fans for supporting Pennywise for 30 years and how they weren’t gonna stop until the fans told them to. Nearing the end of the show, Pennywise brought out the best as the started to play their catchy track Fuck Authority and had the fans singing along to the chorus. Pennywise next played a cover of Stand By Me starting off slow at first, then speeding it up punk style for the rest of the song to keep the energy going. To end the show, Pennywise started the familiar bass intro that everyone in the venue recognized. The fans in the mosh pit went crazy once again as Pennywise played their biggest hit and always closing song, Bro Hymn. Everyone in the venue was singing along to the song’s chorus of “whoa-oh-oh-ohh, whoooaaaa oh-oh-oh-oh”. To make it even more special, fans rushed the stage to dance and sing along with Pennywise until the whole stage was covered with people. Pennywise finished the show and left the stage leaving the audience with nothing but smiles on the faces of their lifelong fans.

The annual Decibel Magazine tour was underway and this year proved to be another brutal year. This year featured death metal legends Morbid Angel as well as metal bands Necrot and Blood Incantation. Death metal legends CannibalCorpse would headline the tour from February 17-March 7. After that, death metal band Immolation would headline from March 8 till the tour’s end on March 14. The 4th stop on the tour was the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles and to no surprise, the show sold out ahead of time. The venue was flooded with dedicated metalheads as Morbid Angel was set to go on.
The lights went out and the venue cheered as the curtains lifted to reveal Morbid Angel on stage as the venue was filled with death metal as they started the show with Piles of Little Arms. The crowd went wild with mosh pits as the death metal legends unleashed hell onto Los Angeles. Up next were the tracks D.E.A.D. and Garden of Disdain. All the songs performed were brutal and on point with the combination of Steve Tucker’s bass and guttural vocals to Trey Azagthoth’s sweet guitar solos and powerful riffs. The mosh pits and crowd surfers never stopped as Morbid Angel continued to pulverize Los Angeles with hard-hitting songs such as Nothing Is Not, Blasphemy, Prayer of Hatred, and Godof Emptiness. The show was thought to be over, but not before Morbid Angel came back out and played an encore of Blood on My Hands. Morbid Angel wrapped up their show and thanked the audience for coming out and made way for one of death metal’s finest bands.Cannibal Corpse are without a doubt one of the biggest and best death metal bands of all time with over two million album sales. A couple of months ago, Cannibal Corpse were in some hot water when guitarist Pat O’Brien was arrested for burglary and assault from a very misunderstood situation. Until things are settled, guitarist Erik Rutan of death metal band Hate Eternal will be filling in for guitar duties. The lights went out once again and the crowd once again went into a frenzy as the curtains were lifted to reveal the death metal legends on stage. Cannibal Corpse started their show with Code of the Slashers from their newest album, Red Before Black. The crowd went absolutely wild with crowd surfers and brutal mosh pits. Fans were seriously hurt one way or another and they did it all in the name of metal. Two more songs from the new album One Will Die and Red Before Black were played and were just as brutal. One of the main highlights of the show is watching vocalist George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher headspin with his gigantic neck and is one of the most entertaining sights in metal. Cannibal Corpse continued to brutalize Los Angeles as they played classics such as Scourge of Iron, Staring Through the Eyes of the Dead, The Wretched Spawn, and A Skull Full of Maggots. Such disgusting song titles that are often brought up in controversies, but still awesome! Fisher announced this next song as a love song and that it was about “shooting blood from your cock!”. The fans cheered knowing what was coming next as Fisher belted out, “I…Cum…Blooood!” and so Cannibal Corpse played one of their most popular hits I Cum Blood which once again drove the fans wild and kept the mosh pits brutal. another song was played which was Make Them Suffer before announced one more song of the night and of the fans wanted more, they would have to scream as loud as possible. The fans screamed as loud as they could. Fisher said after hearing their pleas and after considering it…it was still the last song! HA! Then continued on to call himself a heartbreaker. Cannibal Corpse finished their show with Stripped, Raped,and Strangled which one of the most brutal songs played that night. Cannibal Corpse finished the song and stayed on stage as Fisher screamed into the mic, “Hammer…Smashed…Faaaace!”. It seems the audience got their one last song and it was one of the most popular and brutal songs in metal, Hammer Smashed Face. It is recognizable by its intro and bass solo by legendary metal bassist Alex Webster. The fans went berserk with crowd surfers showing up and a mosh pit so brutal, it hurt just by watching it. Cannibal Corpse finished up the show and left the venue in a surprising standing state. Los Angeles always awaits Cannibal Corpse and Morbid Angel.

Cannibal Corpse

Morbid Angel

Neighborinos! Viral sensations Okilly Dokilly – the world’s only “Nedal” band – recently announced the release of their upcoming second full-length album, entitled Howdilly Twodilly, scheduled for release on March 29, 2019. Their first album, Howdilly Doodilly, was released in 2016. As their name suggests, Okilly Dokilly takes after Ned Flanders from the popular TV show, The Simpsons. The band members all dress in traditional Ned Flanders attire with green sweaters, pink shirts, and wear glasses. The Neds go by the names of Head Ned (vocals), Shred Ned (guitars), Dread Ned (drums), Zed Ned (synths), and Bed Ned (bass). Their lyrics are Ned Flanders quotes turned into songs to fit the band’s image. Okilly Dokilly announced a west coast tour called The ReNeducation tour to begin promoting their second album. One of the stops was the Discovery bowling alley in downtown Ventura. The venue was decently packed even on a Wednesday night.Okilly Dokilly came out and started the show with the first single released from the new album, Reneducation. The band seems to alternate with sound as one song can be more of a metalcore sound, then the next will have more of a punk rock vibe. It was really quite humorous seeing all the band members dressed up as Ned Flanders while playing their music. It was definitely something you need to see to believe. The next song performed was They Warned Me followed by Flanderdoodles. In Between songs, Head Ned would mimic Flanders himself as he spoke to the audience about the dangers of the world and of course, getting closer to heaven. The show went on with the catchy You’re A Jerk and Press Destruct Button. One of the more interesting segments was when Head Ned brought out his acoustic guitar as Okilly Dokilly prepared to play a rendition of Yellow Submarine by The Beatles, but with the title changed to YellowFamily with the lyrics changed to match The Simpsons. Head Ned next brought out his mandolin guitar and performed Panic Room. A typical metalcore-sounding song, then out of nowhere the chorus of the song hits and has a humorous resemblance to the classic song She’ll Be Comin’ ‘Round the Mountain as Head Ned sings, “we’ll be safe inside our fortress when they come, (when they come!) we’ll be safe from creeps and killers when they come (when the come!)”. OkillyDokilly continued the show with Purple Drapes and White Wine Spritzer. Head Ned brought out a cannon that would shoot out shirts for the audience members to catch. It was time for the show to come to an end and so Okilly Dokilly said their goodbyes in the traditional way that Flanders says bye, Godspeed Little Doodle. Okilly Dokilly left the stage and all seemed quiet. The fans stayed to cheer them on and after a few minutes, the band came back out for one more song. What better to…treat…their audience than to perform Donut Hell. Head Ned tossed a giant inflatable donut into the crowd which was tossed around for the whole song. Because the audience was so good, Okilly Dokilly decided to treat them to just one more song which was appropriately named Nothing At All. Head Ned removed his clothing and revealed the blue and red suit that Flanders wears during the classic segment of The Simpsons where Homer goes skiing. It really felt like he was wearing nothing at all. The show came to an end and the crowd cheered on Okilly Dokilly for a very entertaining show and thanked them for coming out to a usually overlooked area of Southern California. Hopefully they come back after the release of the second album for more ReNeducation. The current West Coast tour is still going on and just recently, announced an East Coast tour so be sure to catch them in all their Flanderness! Stupid sexy Flanders.

Last In Line is a heavy metal band formed in 2012 by former members of the original lineup of Dio, the band belonging to the late legendary heavy metal icon and vocalist, Ronnie James Dio. The band’s name came from Dio‘s 1984 album, The Last In Line. Following the death of Ronnie James Dio in 2010, the original lineup of drummer Vinny Appice, bassist Jimmy Bain, guitarist Vivian Campbell, and keyboardist Claude Schnell reunited along with vocalist Andrew Freeman to perform the Dio songs they originally recorded. In February 2016, they released their first album with original material titled Heavy Crown. They are set to release their second album titled II on February 22nd, 2019. The only difference being that bassist Jimmy Bain passed away in 2016. After searching, Last In Line recruited Jimmy Soussan for bass duties. Last In Line announced a USA tour to continue delivering new music as well as beloved Dio classics to heavy metal maniacs throughout the country. One of the stops was at the Majestic Ventura Theater and was the perfect way to spend a cold Saturday night.Last In Line came out and started the show with the first single from the new album, Landslide. A continuation of a classic heavy metal sound by some of metal’s greatest musicians. With one new song out of the way, Last In Line started playing the classics everyone was waiting for. The second song performed was the fan-favorite Stand Up and Shout which had the audience singing along to the chorus. The next song was another classic Straight Through the Heart which also had the audience singing along and raising their horns. Another new song was played next which was Year of theGun and when it was finished, the stage went dark and silent as a creepy intro filled the venue. Everyone surely knew what was coming next. Last In Line next played Dio‘s most famous song and one of the most famous songs in heavy metal, Holy Diver. Fans banger their heads, raised their horns, and sang along to the whole song. A sight that Dio himself would be very proud to see. Last In Line continued to play all the hits as they played more classic tracks like Evil Eyes, The Last In Line, and finished up the show with Rainbow in the Dark. Last In Line left the stage and all seemed quiet. Fans didn’t leave and stayed put and cheered for the band. After a brief break, the band came back out to thank the audience for coming out and played some encores. The first encore was one of Dio‘s most famous songs, Don’t Talk to Strangers and had fans singing along to the chorus once again. The next encore was Devil In Me and to finish off the show was the classic We Rock to truly let the fans rock out one last time. Last In Line wrapped up the show, bowed to the audience, and left the stage for the final time.

Metalachi is perhaps one of the most interesting and fun bands you will ever see live. As their name suggests, their music is composed of covers of popular rock and metal songs using traditional mariachi instruments. At first it sounds a little odd, but a quick YouTube search and you’ll quickly be blown away by what you see and hear. They make mariachi instruments work perfectly for the covers that they do. Their stage outfits are taken directly out of the books from other rock/metal acts like Rob Zombie, KISS, and Gwar. The members are made up of Vega De La Rockha (vocals), Paco Halen (guitar), El Cucuy (trumpet), Kyla Vera (violin), and Kiko Cane (guitarron/bass). Metalachi just released their third album Tres and have been touring non-stop in support of the album. The Discovery bowling alley in Ventura, California was packed which was no surprise on a Friday night.
The first thing you’ll notice is how the mic stands are covered by the bras of women from previous shows. Metalachi‘s manager Warren Moscow came out to greet the sold out audience and asked if they were ready to party with Metalachi. The crowd cheered, of course. He said that if any audience member is not ready to party, to do him a favor and walk their ass out of the venue. He also made note that alcohol is your friend and the more you drink, “the more this shit will make sense”. With that, he introduced Metalachi as they came on stage and started with their traditional opening song, a rendition of the classic Mexican song Guadalajara, but with the lyrics and title changed to Metalachi. Metalachi was welcomed by their loving fans as they performed the first song of the night, Welcome to theJungle (Guns N’ Roses). Right away, you’ll see how the music fits perfectly as it’s performed with mariachi instruments. The next song performed was We’re Not Gonna Take It (Twisted Sister). Metalachi is also known for their humorous dialogue in between song which leads to the band members taunting each other with jokes and telling personal stories. One such joke is when singer Vega De La Rocha told the audience to drink up as much alcohol as possible because “The more you drink, the better we sound”. Metalachi continued the debauchery as they performed classic rock and metal songs which included Rock You Like A Hurricane (Scorpions), Killing In the Name (Rage Against the Machine), BreakingtheLaw (Judas Priest), and Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen) which has a new music video out by the band. Metalachi made note on how they noticed how people of all races were together rocking out and having fun. To celebrate the occasion, Metalachi played Rock and Roll All Nite (KISS). The show was coming to an end and De La Rockha introduced the final medley of the night which were Iron Maiden covers of Hallowed Be Thy Name, The Trooper, and Run to the Hills. Metalachi thanked the audience for coming out then left the stage. Warren Moscow came back out and asked the audience if they had fun. The audience cheered. He then asked if they would like one more song. The crowd cheered even louder. Instead of asking a second time, he was satisfied with the response and brought out Metalachi for an encore. The choice of encore was Canción del Mariachi (“Morena de Mi Corazón”) as heard on the film, Desperado. The crowd cheered as the show came to an end hoping that it’s not long before Metalachi rides the loco train back to Ventura County.

Septicflesh is a symphonic death metal band from Greece. In 2017, they released their tenth studio album CodexOmega and have been actively touring since then. Septicflesh is currently at work on their eleventh album. The band’s lyrics deal with religion, folklore, history, myths, and legends. Septicflesh came out to a packed venue and started the show with a song from the newest album, Portrait of a Headless Man. The heaviness of the music filled the venue as a mosh pit started and fog cannons filled the stage as frontman Spiros “Seth” Antoniou belched his deep death metal growls onto the audience. They are also known for their use of choirs in their songs giving them their symphonic death metal sound. The next song was one of their best songs and one of their most popular tracks, The Vampire From Nazareth. A catchy song that’s hard not to sing along to the chorus. Septicflesh has a powerful performance on stage and always puts on a killer performance. Septicflesh made sure to play their best hits for this tour and some of those hits included Anubis, Pyramid God, Martyr, and Enemy of Truth. With a short set, Antoniou announced the end of their show and told everyone that they were all…a Dark Art. Septicflesh ended with Dark Art as it made for the perfect ending song. Septicflesh left the stage with the headlining band of the tour waiting to come out.Ensiferum is a folk metal band from Finland. In 2017 they released their seventh album, Two Paths. As all traditional folk metal bands, Ensiferum‘s lyrics deal with fantasy, history, Nordic, and battles. The lights went out and the crowd cheered as the members of Ensiferum made their way to the stage in traditional folk metal attire and war paint. Ensiferum started the show with For Those About to Fight For Metal. Frontman Petri Lindroos sang in traditional folk metal growls and sent the crowd into a mosh pit and even crowd surfers made an appearance every now and then. The second song performed was the title track from the newest album Two Paths followed by one of their newer fan-favorite’s, Heathen Horde. The music of Ensiferum will either wanna make you bang your head or dance. Probably both. With the new songs out of the way, Ensiferum went on to play their popular songs. Up next was the fun and catchy track, Twilight Tavern and had fans moshing and singing along to the chorus. Other fun songs to dance to included Treacherous Gods, Lai Lai Hei, From Afar, and Way of the Warrior. The show seemed to come to an end as Ensiferum wanted to see the biggest mosh pit LA could give them and so they ended the show with Two of Spades. Ensiferum left the stage, but the fans weren’t ready to go home just yet. After a quick break, Ensiferum came back out to deliver some encores. The first encore was Guardians of Fate. The next encore was one Ensiferum‘s best songs, In My Sword I Trust which the fans loved singing the chorus to. Now nearing the end of the show, Lindroos let the fans know that this next song they should know and mimicked the accordion part by saying “da-dadada, da-dadada” to which crowd sang back to him during the beginning to the song, Iron, another one of Ensiferum‘s best songs. Ensiferum finished their set and seemed to jam on stage for a bit before deciding to treat the fans to a folk metal cover of Guns N’ Roses‘ Sweet Child O’Mine and had the audience singing along to the chorus. Ensiferum hadn’t played the USA since their last tour in 2015 and it was nice to see them finally come back and hopefully won’t be another four years before their return.

Ensiferum

Septicflesh

Possessed is a death metal band from the San Francisco Bay Area. They are heavily credited as the first death metal band as well as the pioneers of death metal for Jeff Becerra’s guttural vocals, super-fast drumming, and guitar tremolo picking. Possessed has only released two studio albums Seven Churches (1985) and Beyond the Gates (1986) along with the EP, The Eyes of Horror (1987). Possessed is currently at work on their third album to be released by Nuclear Blast which hopefully means will get a release this year and would make their first studio album in almost 33 years. Possessed disbanded in 1987, but reformed in 2007 with Becerra still on vocals and with a new lineup and have been touring ever since. You’ll notice that Becerra performs in a wheelchair. This is due to him being shot at a robbery in 1989 which left him paralyzed from the chest down. Still, Possessed puts on one of the wildest performances seen from any death metal band. Possessed announced a short three-date tour with two of them being back to back at the legendary Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood and the third in Oakland. To no surprise, both shows at the Whisky were sold out and so it was set to be one for the books even on a Thursday night. After enduring six local opening acts, the Whisky was packed to what felt like over-capacity as LA’s metal scene was more than ready to put their bodies on the line for Possessed.
The lights went out and the sold out crowd went wild as the members of Possessed made their way to the stage as the demonic grunts over the speaker came on and Possessed started the show with the classic song, Pentagram. Right away, the mosh pits started and it was not a pretty sight to see the audience bashing into each other and leave each other feeling sore for the next few days. Becerra unleashed his evil guttural vocals onto the audience as the show continued with Beyond the Gates followed by The Eyes of Horror. Their music may be over 30 years old, but every note still hits you hard and is almost impossible to keep still and not headbang or raise your horns as Possessed played their brutal death metal and pounded everyone’s ears. Possessed played all their hits including Evil Warriors, Tribulation, Storm in My Mind, and Burning in Hell. Becerra took a quick break to talk to the audience about the new album coming out and thanking the audience for the support after all these years. Possessed continued to pulverize fan’s ears and the fans continued to mosh as the music intro to the film The Exorcist started which is also the intro to the next song, TheExorcist which is one of their most popular songs. The show was nearing the end and Possessed next played FallenAngel, Death Metal, and ended with Seven Churches. Possessed was preparing to leave the stage, yet fans kept chanting, “one more song!”. Becerra asked, “you want one more!?” and the crowd cheered. Possessed listened and played Satan’sCurse as the shows finale. It was during this song where a couple of fans took a chance and broke the Whisky’s strict rules of no stage diving and crowd surfing. When it’s the last song, it’s best to go all out. Possessed finished the show, thanked the audience, and left the stage. Fans were satisfied by the performance seen sweating, drunk, and lots of smiles going around.

The fourth edition of the Show Your Scars Festival once again took place at the Regent in Downtown Los Angeles. This year’s headliner was the British death/extreme metal legends, Carcass. Lots more underground and old school metal was set in the lineup and the Los Angeles audience was pumped up and waiting outside in the rain to get in early enough to the show to catch all the bands playing. As all previous SYS shows, this one sold out ahead of time so you know it was going to be a wild night.Excel is a hardcore punk/crossover thrash metal band from Venice, California. They are one of the major bands from the 1980’s to come out of the crossover scene along with Suicidal Tendencies. Plenty of fans were excited for Excel as they destroyed the venue with classics such as Wreck Your World, Your Life My Life, and Split Image. Excel put on a great performance and surely did not disappoint the already packed venue.Iron Reagan is an American crossover thrash supergroup from Richmond, Virginia, featuring members of Municipal Waste which are vocalist Tony Foresta and Cannabis Corpse and Municipal Waste bassist Phil “LandPhil” Hall. A band like this always puts on an energetic performance so you know you’re in for a crazy show. In true hardcore punk fashion, IronReagan played fast songs that got the mosh pit going and stage divers were still showing up on stage constantly. Iron Reagan didn’t seem to mind fans coming up on stage to party and get wild as fans got up on stage and dove right back in. Iron Reagan played fast and short tunes like Eat Shit and Live, Tongue Tied, Fuck the Neighbors, and even a Cannibal Corpse cover of A Skull Full of Maggots. There was never a dull moment in Iron Reagan‘s performance and fans were left wanting more and seemed to have plenty of energy left.Lowlife is a crossover thrash/hardcore punk band from Santa Monica, California. Lowlife features the original and founding members of crossover thrash/hardcore punk band Cryptic Slaughter who are Les Evans (guitar) and Scott Peterson (drums). Cryptic Slaughter was originally set to play, but had to change their name due to legal rights and so now go by Lowlife after one of their songs. Despite the name change, fans still chanted the name Cryptic Slaughter because to them, it was Cryptic Slaughter. Regardless of names, Lowlife promised a full Cryptic Slaughter set and they delivered on their promise. Lowlife started the show with Positively and right away, the mosh pits started again along with crowd surfers and stage divers. Fans went wild for Cryptic Slaughter as the band had not played any shows since their initial breakup in 1990 so for most if not all fans in attendance, it was their first time seeing Cryptic Slaughter. Cryptic Slaughter drove the fans wild as they pummeled through classics like M.A.D., Last Laugh, Set Your Own Pace, and Lowlife. It seems Cryptic Slaughter has been revived and is alive and well with their current lineup and will hopefully play again in the area real soon.
The headlining band of the night was Carcass. Plenty of fans were also in attendance with Carcass merch and the packed venue was ready for the death metal legends. The lights went out and the crowd cheered as Carcass made their way to the stage and started the show with Genital Grinder. Carcass‘ performance was flawless as they always are. Fans continued to mosh and crowd surfers continued to make their way to the stage. It seems security was tight in not letting fans stay on stage and would immediately toss them back into the crowd. Carcass‘ heavy music made for some great headbanging and moshing. Songs such as Exhume to Consume, Reek of Putrefaction, Buried Dreams, and No LoveLost allowed fans to let loose and go wild on this rainy Saturday night. The show was coming to an end and they ended with their most famous song, Heartwork. Carcass thanked the audience for coming out and left the stage. Seeing all the carnage from the venue itself, people were sweating like crazy, tired, sleepy, drunk, and everything in between. A very good Saturday indeed and it’s just the beginning of the year.

Carcass

Lowlife

Iron Reagan

Excel

Captured! By Robots is perhaps one of the strangest, yet interesting acts one will ever see. As the name suggests, the theme of the band is that robots have taken over and the stage is set up like a post-apocalyptic world. Robots named GTRBOT666 (guitar/bass) and DRMBOT0110 (drums) serve as the primary sound of the band while JBOT (vocals) is held captive by the robots shown in chains and dirty clothing. Yes, the robots actually do play the instruments! The music style is grindcore so there’s lots of fast and heavy music with screaming deep growls. The show itself was spectacular and is something you must see to believe. In between songs, the robots would talk trash and insult the audience showing their success of world dominance. The show came to an end when DRMBOT0110 challenged a member of the audience to a drum-off. Loser dies! After a grueling drum battle, the human emerged victorious so he may live to tell the tale. Captured! By Robots is a band worth checking out if they ever come to the area.

People Mover (PPL MVR) is another very interesting band. If you’ve ever wondered what a band led by Yetis would sound like, this is the band to check out. Their music is a bit hard to categorize as they seem to alternate between stoner metal and autotuning. You may be confused at first as to what exactly you’re looking at, but after a while, you’ll be hypnotized by their movements and music. Almost like a 60’s psychedelic rock band on an acid trip. The band is led by SNWBLL (guitar/vocals), K-Po (bass), and Q (drums). The band is often mischievous on stage taunting each other and trying to communicate with the audience with grunts. The audience had fun watching this interesting band and should be checked out by anyone that likes bizarre bands and music.

The Dickies are punk rock legends from Los Angeles. To see them on a lineup like this was a bit odd, but still a great choice nonetheless. Plenty of audience members were seen sporting The Dickies merch as well as traditional punk garments like spiked jackets and torn shirts/pants. The Dickies came out and filled the venue with classic punk rock as they have been playing for forty years now. The mosh pits started and the punk rock show was underway. Frontman Leonard Graves Phillips was very energetic and comedic during the whole performance as he would jump and dance showing why he’s one of punk’s greatest frontmen. To go along with the performance, Phillips would bring out a variety of items to go along with the songs played. Some of those items included a dog puppet for Doggie Do, water goggles and snorkel for Waterslide, and even an inflatable sex doll. The Dickies have been around for forty years and they’re clearly not slowing down anytime soon and still have plenty to offer for fans.

Headlining the show was the Black Sabbath Drive-Thru metal band known as Mac Sabbath. At first, you won’t really think what to think of the name. Once you see them come on stage and hear the music, it will all make sense. MacSabbath perform the music of heavy metal godfathers Black Sabbath, but change the lyrics to match that of fast food products. Black Sabbath fans can easily determine the original Black Sabbath song names based on the Mac Sabbath titles. The curtains lifted and revealed on stage to the members of Mac Sabbath which were Grimalice (bass), Slayer MacCheeze (guitar), The Catburglar (drums), and coming out last in a straitjacket, Ronald Osbourne (vocals). MacSabbath began their greasy performance with N.I.B.B.L.E. and right away you could feel the two themes coming together like the perfect burger. The next song performed was More Ribs followed by Organic Funeral. Mac Sabbath brought out plenty of toys to play with as Osbourne acted like a clown and really had tricks up his sleeve. One of his tricks involved eating a burger patty prior to the performance of Sweet Beef and vomiting inside of a bucket. He would pretend like he was going to chuck the vomit onto the audience and when he finally did, out came…confetti. Other tricks including spraying the audience with water from ketchup and mustard bottles, and party snakes coming out of bottles. At one point, Osbourne somehow took out a really long straw from his under garments and had his fast food employee chug a beer down one end of the straw as Osbourne drank from the other. During the performance of Frying Pan, Osbourne brought out a frying pan and set it on fire as he prepared to cook his next meal. He brought out a bat and was going to recreate one of the most infamous incidents in metal as he put the bat between the burger buns and bit the head off. Mac Sabbath finished the show and left the stage. The audience wasn’t ready to go home yet and stayed behind. After a little while, Mac Sabbath came out to perform Pair-A-Buns and joining them on stage was The Dickies guitarist, Stan Lee. Osbourne helped himself to some crowd surfing or as he called it, clown surfing. The whole show was highly entertaining and anyone that didn’t show up clearly missed one of the most comical shows of the year.

Mac Sabbath

The Dickies

PPL MVR

Captured! By Robots

Industrial metal legends Ministry released their fourteenth studio album AmeriKKKant on March 9, 2018. Since the 80’s, Ministry has been releasing angry political songs for those who share the same political views as Ministry mastermind Al Jourgensen. Ministry have been touring for the album since before its release and the latest tour was called the AmeriKKKant Tour 2018. On this special occasion, Ministry would be performing their new album in its entirety. The last two stops on the tour were both at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Support came from Carpenter Brut and Alien Weaponry. The final stop of the tour was more than ready for the metal legends and had the venue packed just as Alien Weaponry was getting ready to come on stage.

Alien Weaponry is a three-piece thrash metal band from Waipu, New Zealand, formed in 2010 by brothers Lewis (guitar/vocals) and Henry de Jong (drums). The band is most noted for its fusion of Te Reo Māori (the native language of New Zealand) with thrash metal – delivering emotionally and politically charged stories of conflict and grief with a warrior-like attitude. on June 1, 2018, they released their debut album Tū and even before then, they have been praised by magazines and outlets for their amazing music. This is the band’s very first USA tour and it was obvious they had lots of fans in attendance. Alien Weaponry came out and first gave the fans a traditional New Zealand Haka dance to warm things up. The first song performed was PC Bro. Alien Weaponry showed their thrash metal music to the US fans and they loved it. The next song was Holding My Breath followed by Kai tangata. The audience responded really well to the band as fans raised their horns and banged their heads. With them being the opening act, they had a very short setlist and ended with Rū Ana te Whenua (The Trembling Earth). This is their first USA tour, but surely it was a successful one and made lots of new fans.

The lights went out and the audience cheered as the intro track I Know Words started which involves a remix of Trump’s infamous quote of “We Will Make America Great Again”. As the intro was finishing up, the members of Ministry made their way to the stage and started with the first track from the new album, Twilight Zone. Jourgensen was the last one to come out and was greeted by a huge cheer from the audience. The song made for a great opening song letting you know that Ministry has arrived and what made the song even better was the harmonica being played by Jourgensen. The next songs were Victims of a Clown and We’re Tired of It. Both songs have strong anti-Trump lyrics showing how much Jourgensen hates Trump. The whole time, there was a screen in the background depicting images of war and politicians from the past as well as caricatures of Trump. The AmeriKKKant album kept being played as Ministry performed tracks like Antifa, Wargasm, Game Over, and finished the set with AmeriKKKa. Ministry left the stage for a bit to catch their breath. After a few minutes, Jourgensen announced that he was done spewing his political beliefs on the audience and would now focus on the band’s old material. Another special occasion was that Ministry was also celebrating the 20th anniversary of their certified gold third album, The Land of Rape and Honey. Ministry would also play select cuts from the album to help celebrate the occasion. The first song from the album played was the title track, The Land of Rape andHoney. A classic industrial metal track. The next classic tracks were were The Missing, Deity, and the popular track, Stigmata. With that album out of the way, Ministry now focused on their best tracks which everyone wanted to hear. The next track played was one of their most popular tracks, Just One Fix. The mosh pits came to life once again and crowd surfers made an appearance as fans also sang along to the song’s chorus. Thieves was up next and is perhaps Ministry‘s most popular song. The mosh pits kept going and crowd surfers kept security up front busy. For the performance of So What, Ministry brought out Chris Connelly to sing who has also worked with Ministry on their albums in the early days and is also a member from Jourgensen’s side project, Revolting Cocks. It was time for the show to come to an end and so Ministry played a very old track called (Everyday Is) Halloween. The previous day was the first time in 32 years that the song had been played so this marked the second time. Another guest was brought out which was Dave Navarro from Jane’s Addiction for an acoustic performance of the song. Ministry delivered two nights of glorious metal and it’s clear that they won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.

Ministry

Alien Weaponry

Stone Sour released their sixth studio album Hydrograd in 2017. Since then, they have been actively touring for the album all over the world. Their current tour came to an end at the House of Blues in Anaheim, California and what better way to welcome the band with a sold out show. Support came from Joyous Wolf and Aeges. The venue filled up quickly with it being packed even by the time Joyous Wolf came out to start the show.

Joyous Wolf is a newly formed rock band from Southern California formed in 2014. The band is still very young with only two tracks available for purchase which are a Mountain cover of Mississippi Queen and the original track, SlowHand. The band is currently hard at work at releasing their new album so 2019 will be their year to make themselves known even more. Joyous Wolf came out to a packed venue and were welcomed by the audience. Their music is as if 60’s rock never left which was a nice change of pace compared to a lot of rock bands that tend to sound the same. Joyous Wolf was very energetic during their performance and made sure to leave marks on the audience and surely made lots of new fans. Frontman Nick Reese introduced the song Mississippi Queen by asking the audience if the knew the song. Fans could be seen singing along to this classic tune that surely everyone in the audience knew. Joyous Wolf had a very energetic stage presence and it was nice to see them play to a much bigger audience than what they’re used to playing in much smaller venues. Joyous Wolf had a short set, but they made every minute count and will surely only get bigger as their career expands.

Stone Sour was obviously the main band of the night with plenty of loyal fans in the audience that were eager to see them. The lights went out and the sold out crowd went wild as the members of Stone Sour came out. Singer Corey Taylor also of Slipknot fame was the last one to come as the band started the show with Taipei Person/Allah Tea, the first track from the newest album. Stone Sour was immediately welcomed by the sold out crowd and you could tell StoneSour was happy to be in the presence of this sold out crowd. The next tracks performed were Do Me a Favor and KnievelHas Landed. Taylor was more than happy to introduce his bandmates to the audience, especially guitarist Josh Rand who he has been writing music with since Rand was 15 years old. Taylor would bring out some props for the fans including a bazooka that shoots out confetti. Stone Sour continued playing hits such as Absolute Zero, 30-30/150, Bother, and Tired which were all beautiful songs by the band. Taylor sang every song to perfection with his amazing vocal skills proving he’s one of rock and metal’s best singers alive. The crowd would sing along to the songs as well as mosh during the band’s heavier songs. Stone Sour played Get Inside from their debut self-titled 2002 album and proved to be one of the best songs of the night as fans went crazy during that song as well as sang along. For the end of the set, Taylor once again brought out a guitar in order to play what is perhaps their most beautiful song, Through Glass. A very emotional song, the crowd stood still in awe and everyone could be seen singing along to this beautiful song. Stone Sour finished the song, thanked the audience, then left the stage. The audience stayed put and chanted for the band to come back out. After a little while, Stone Sour came back out and thanked the audience for all the years of support and would give them a couple of encores. The first encore was the popular track, Made of Scars. To end the night, Stone Sour played the first single from the newest album, Fabuless. A great ending to a great concert as fans let out whatever energy they had left with mosh pits and singing along. Stone Sour left the stage once more, but left nothing but smiles on their fans.